To the SKATERS on BF, RE: Commuting
 

I've noticed that several people on BF also inline skate. Maybe you could help me out with something (non-skater input OK, too).

I want to start either biking or skating again. I also want to remain car-free (or light if need be) in the coming years. I'd like my choice of exercise to fit with my car-whatever goals. I'm in college now, and I live <0.5 miles from campus, so I don't need to go long distances at the moment. But in the future, if/when longer commutes become necessary, do you think skates could cover my commuting needs?

I've also asked a skating forum, and am waiting for replies.

I'd love some input, cause I've been going back and forth for the last few days. Thanks

Duly noted. Anyone else? :D

Well, I skate more than I bike and here is what I think. College Campus' can be a little tricky because there are so many people on the sidewalks and streets. If you do want to skate definitely get some skates with a heel brake and make sure you are comfortable stopping quickly. Even with that, though, you just can't stop as quickly as you can on a bike.

Rain is also a real drag for skating...much easier to deal with rain on a bike. Skate bearings, once they get wet will seize up if you don't take them out and lube them soon.

I'd go with the bike and mix in skating on dry days.

Biking in general is much more versatile. Here are some condition that a bike will handle just fine (with proper equipment) and the skates will not:

- very rough pavement/no pavement
- very steep downhills
- rain/snow/wet ground/ice
- heavy traffic

I think skates are really fun and would love to be able to skate more for transportation, but I find that in a lot of cases it's simply not practicable. Some of it is due to my lack of skills to tackle some of the more challenging conditions, but a lot of it simply can't be done on skates. If you live in a place where it never snows and hardly ever rains, the pavement/sidewalk is perfect everywhere and the hills aren't too steep, you could, probably, get away with skates as your main wheels, although I personally would still prefer at least a cheap basic bike as a back-up for when skating for whatever reason is not feasible.

+1 Skates are fun, but IMHO are more of a toy than a real transportation alternative.

+1

Well put.

If skates are a toy then bikes are too. If you have an MUP on your route skates can be a viable form of transportation. A good skater can go 17-20 mph...it's not like we are wearing Barbie skates you know. If you have roads that aren't too busy you can travel very well on skates...just look at the annual Athens to Atlanta 87 mile skate race (a2a.net) ...the whole 87 miles is done on open roads.

I vote for a bike. You probably would not want to skate 5 to 10 miles if you really need to. A bike you would not even hesitate. Also, it would be more practical to carry groceries etc... Get the skates as well but if it is going to be your main transportation, go with the bike.

I must say that I do know some people who use skates for transportation. It's not their only mode of transportation and not even primary mode of transportation if you look at it year-round, but it is their main fairweather way to get around town. I'd say it IS a real transportation tool but it's limited in many more ways than cycling.

It also requires more training and greater skills, I would say. The absence of a real reliable brake that doesn't wear out at a ridiculous rate is the main reason I don't skate more even in good weather.

Ok, sorry. I did not mean to offend the inline skating crowd. I should have said a bike is a much more versatile, efficient means of transportation, but you choose to get around as you like. If you happen to be an NHL defenseman and want to practice your backcheck while on the way to starbucks then skating is probably the way to go :p

The thing about skates is that they mesh much better with public transit than bikes do.

Sure, there are folding bikes, but even the lightest smallest folding bike is much bigger and heavier than a pair of skates.

But you can't go into most places with skates on. With a bike, you hop off, lock it, and go to where you need to be. With skates, you've got to change shoes to go into wherever you are going.

I can't see really using skates as a means of transport for any significant distance or location.

Thanks for the replies!

You all have been touching on the issues I've been struggling with--road surfaces, distances, going into shops, weather concerns, etc.

So now the question is what type of bike to get, and then which specific one.

My dad has an old Bridgestone road bike (tension shifters and all that) at home (200 miles away) that he doesn't use, so that's an option. But I'm still weighing my options.

Oh, and don't think you've heard the last of me! :D

I remember my days of college when I only had a dollar to last a week. If that is the case I would say get the one from your dad and see how well you like it. Last year I upgraded from a '72 shwinn 10 speed. I thought it would make a huge difference. I like the new shifters a lot more, the rest is not as dramatic of a difference as I thought it would be. Sometimes I even miss it.

My $.02 worth
Brian

You're absolutely right about that, which is why I stopped using skates for transportation a long time ago.

However, I've been considering buying a pair of Hypnoskates:
http://hypnoskates.com/images/staticpages/tech4.jpg

I've heard of those, but there are still many problems with using skates to commute. Besides, that name always makes me think of the Hypnotoad

http://shogun.shafted.com.au/temp/hypnotoad.gif

That depends entirely on your situation. How far you ride, on what kind of terrain, what kind of road surface, where you lock your bike...

I think that's not a bad place to start. I mean, that's zero financial investment if the bike's in good shape (your parents do drive over to visit you anyway, don't they? ;)) and if you don't like it you can always buy something else later. Plus an older bike is less likely to get stolen - an important consideration if you leave it locked on campus.

Yes, I'll be going home for a few days next month, so I'll look into bringing the Bridgestone back up here then (unless my dad comes up here before then). I actually learned how to ride a bike on it last summer (yes, I'm a late bloomer--and I like using parenthesis), although I haven't mastered the tension shifters. Also, the handlebars would come loose and instead of "looking ahead" they would "look to the left about 45 degrees," so I'll need to fix that.

Since campus is so close, I think I should consider what type of recreational biking I want to do. To be honest, I'm not sure yet. Berkeley has hills to the north and east, bay-side bike paths on the west, and flat roads to the south--something suitable for all bike-types.

Anyway, I've got more thinking to do, but THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE!

Great post. Only thing I'd disagree on is the heel brake. There's more control and stopping power doing a simple T-stop/skate drag. Learn to do it with either foot and you're in good shape compared to the small surface area of a heel brake that is typically only on one skate. Both the college campuses I attended were very hilly and I had no problems controlling speed or stopping relatively quickly on the sometimes crowded walkways with the t-stop/drag. The caveat is wheel wear.

I'm sure if you go to a skate forum you may get more replies telling you to get a pair of roller blades, but honestly, I am a grad student, I've been in the academic life for 14 years and I believe you are way better served with an entry level bike than with a high end (or any kind for that matter) skate.

I would consider a simple full size bike or an entry level folder.

Good point. I don't use a brake and I guess if you start skating without a brake you will learn a T-stop soon enough. The caveat you mentioned can be expensive so I might favor the heel brake because a brake pad is a lot cheaper than a set of wheels.

Or how about this idea?

http://www.inlineplanet.com/2007-04/skate_shoe.html

Hmmm...

yeah, but normally, you don't carry a bike for long distances...

I went everywhere in college for quite some time on skates. They did require more frequent maintenance than my bike when I biked around (I'd have to take the bearings out and soak 'em in oil every so often due to getting sand/water in them, compared to oiling the chain on the bike every once in a blue moon). I wore them into most places and don't recall getting kicked out of anywhere. A couple places I'd take 'em off to go into, but if you have the ratchet/strap style rather than laces, off/on is pretty quick. Comparable to locking your bike I'd say.

One downside that's only been lightly touched on is the carrying capacity. I used to carry my groceries for the week on the handlebars of my bike... carrying them in your hands while skating is not as much fun.

Skates aren't super expensive though (compared to bikes anyway) so you can always get both. Even buying a nice pair of skates and a nice bike is still less expensive than getting a cheap car.

Thanks again for all the replies everyone. It really helps me to talk out my thoughts, and to get feedback from others, when I'm trying to make a decision like this.

What I realized is that bicycling is still a very utilitarian sport to me; I NEED a place to ride to or a reason to ride in order to do so.

With skating, there's no reason, it's just natural (perhaps because I grew up skating and not biking--which I learned when I was 19).

As I've said, I don't commute now, so I don't need a bike to do so. And who knows what the future holds--will I need to commute or not?

Also, I think it's good to have something that you do for fun. So skating is not the best commuting option--neither is mountain biking, fixie riding, or riding a heavy cruiser. But we enjoy these things, and that overcomes their shortcomings.

To sum things up:

Screw utility, I do what I want!

P.S. Don't think you've seen the last of me on BF. I have tons of respect and admiration for the people on here, and for the community you've forged. :)